


normalcy (amidst the harmonies)

by azureforest



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: Ballroom Dancing, Dancing, Friends to Lovers, Introspection, M/M, Slow Burn, Trans Male Character, aranlaura if you squint, everybody besides ed and leos just a vague mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-14
Updated: 2017-05-14
Packaged: 2018-10-31 21:19:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10907673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/azureforest/pseuds/azureforest
Summary: the world changes around them, but bright eyes and quick steps remain constant, along with carefree twirls and half-dances.however, bright eyes and quick steps do not a good dancer make, but leonardo's always believed in the time tested 'practice makes perfect'.and, well- now, they have all the time in the world.





	normalcy (amidst the harmonies)

**Author's Note:**

> IVE BEEN WRITING AT THIS SINCE OCTOBER AND WROTE THE LAST 3K OVER LIKE THREE DAYS. TAKE IT. IVE BEEN CRYING OVER THESE IDIOTS FOR HOURS. ITS ALMOST 1AM AND MY SHOULDERS HURT. (ill go over it again in the morning.)
> 
> no beta but myself. ive read this like four times by now i think help me
> 
> also mild allusions to leonardo's depression. just a heads-up but i really doubt its too noticeable. have fun BECAUSE I CERTAINLY DID

Music poured from somewhere on the other side of the marketplace, less refined than anything he’s ever heard in the courts, from pianos and violins and harps, but it was beautiful all the same, lively, merry, and for a moment the boy briefly had to wonder how such a feat was possible in a town such as this- Then he remembered that _Edward_ was possible in a town such as this, and he pushed the thought aside, chiding his prejudices as he did so.

The boy walked along to the beat, as did the brunet next to him, their steps oddly in sync, though Edward’s had infinitely more _spring_ to them, as if he would begin dancing off on his own any minute- And all of a sudden, dance he did- For a second, the (former) noble considered pretending he didn’t know the street boy, but the clumsy steps turned into spins, one foot before the other in some bizarre mix between a folk and tap-dance, clumsy, but endearing.

Leonardo felt the beginnings of a tired smile as he stopped, watching the other hop and skip and snicker to himself, and marveled at how free he was, how bright his laughter rang out, how it was as if there were no restraints holding him back, as if he could break loose and fly if he wanted to. A bird in his own right.

How he envied him. He felt like a rock in comparison- Gravity and inertia holding him down along with his identity, his past and his guilt- Though, granted, he didn't know enough about the boy who saved him to say more about the matter. He had no right to assume.

Still, they were supposed to be doing other things as opposed to dancing in a crowded marketplace, and Leonardo feared that Edward would stumble and topple over, perhaps, in the worst case, knocking someone down with him, and heavens knew neither of them wanted that- The blond was already a tad exhausted from cleaning up after his… friend.

Pushing his hesitance aside, the blond jogged after the other, ignoring the looks they were attracting, took the boy by the hand, and looked at him with the straightest face he could muster, though the ghost of a smile still stayed, not matter how much he willed it to leave-

“Hey, remember to concentrate on the groceries. We still have to manage to eat today, right?”

“Yeah, you’re right, Leo- Sorry, I got a little carried away there.”

Leonardo finally cracked a smile, a rare occasion, but it stayed for longer than usual- And Edward, always sharper than he seemed, smiled brighter than before, nodded, all white teeth and squinty eyes.

“Of course, let’s go.”

 

* * *

 

It was odd to have a warm fire going now, it was odd to be able to listen to the merry crackle again. It was odd to see the wood turn black, then white, draft spitting and scattering little ashes out into their surroundings. It was odd to be perceive such a small thing as such a joy, to perceive that joy at all, it was odd to be able to share this with someone again after not having it for so long, after having given up on it some time ago. Little snippets of fables he’d been told, broken bits of the sound of rustling paper, a fading laugh drifted into memory, then flickered out just as quickly, disappearing like dying little embers.

 _It’s warm_ , he thought, as Edward’s hum filled the space next to him, eyes closed, smiling. The brunet’s hands reached forward to absorb as much of the warmth as he could, as if he could store it all so no winter would ever have to be spent shivering ever again- _His smile would be warm enough, at least for me_ , Leonardo continued, before he decided that was an excessively stupid thought, because how could a person shine brighter than the sun itself, how could a person ever be warmer than a great bonfire, how could a person’s eyes ever blaze as bright as the stars in the night sky must if he could approach them?

The boy shook off all of those frivolities and prodded the other lightly, regretfully cutting off the tune Edward had been carrying as he pulled back his hands and looked up at Leonardo, eyebrows raised in curiosity.

His request was stupid, so, so stupid, just like everything else he’d been thinking about so far, but he couldn’t help it, he couldn’t help but smile, either, as he carefully asked Edward if he could sing for him for at least a moment. Edward grinned, nodded, complied- Silence filled once more with melody, and the boy began a fast-paced song, perhaps scrambling the lyrics here and there, but snapping along, miming to the lyrics as Leonardo clapped to the rhythm, doing his best to hum along with a song he’s never heard before.

And honestly, he hoped this would never end- But if it did, as it was bound to, he made a vow to himself to learn the song so that they could perhaps sing it together, one day.

 

* * *

 

As time passed, the fireplaces became more and more familiar- Space no longer filled by just two, but three, then five, and the warmth became even warmer, feeling more like the comforting embrace of a family than he had been able to feel for a long time. The wind reaching in through the cracks in the door, the empty windowpanes didn’t matter, not here, not when quiet laughter filled the air, not when smiles were more frequent than before, not when conversation was exchanged, not when he was clustered in front of another fire with four others, all of them with a common goal, working together in a misfit but harmonious group. There was little he could do other than marvel at it all as Micaiah gently poked a joke at Sothe as he looked utterly nonplussed, as Edward burst out in snickers and Nolan laid a gentle hand on Leonardo’s shoulder and started laughing as well.

The laughter was contagious- There was no doubt they’d go back to scraping by again tomorrow, no doubt that they’d go back to working behind Begnion’s back the following day, but he let his restraints fall away and joined in, shoulders shaking, hand in front of his mouth as Sothe finally found the grace to look at least a little insulted. It's alright, they all somehow knew he wasn’t, not really- It was wonderful, all down to the moment Edward looked at him with those twinkling eyes, expression screaming that he had an idea as Leonardo braced himself.

The brunet burst into song, the very same song they had sung countless times since, but never in the group; He snapped his fingers, danced across the drafty little room, fending off the wind with every gesture, beckoning for the blond to join all the while, and before Leonardo could truly think things through, he found his lips moving along to the lyrics, own hands clapping together to the melody of a tale of the little clay bird desperately wishing to fly. The other three watched their little play, their little performance.

To tell the truth, Leonardo couldn’t find it in himself to be embarrassed anymore, not when he could see the smiles of the ones he treasured the most before him, no matter what it took to get to see them.

And at that moment, there was nothing he could treasure more than this little family they had patched together despite their circumstances.

He could put off dying for another day.

 

* * *

 

 

Those days seemed so far away as he watched Edward cross the field in a flurry of steel, footwork precise and without fault, a red streak weaving his way through faceless, faced, living, lifeless soldiers like a splatter of blood. He fought one enemy after another, each step sure because of his conviction, each strike without hesitation because he truly believed- Truly believed that this all was for the best, that this was what it took to protect what he loved; To be able to see it all again, because he believed that his friends would cover him every step of the way-

 _In a way, he isn’t wrong_ , Leonardo thought as he notched another arrow, mechanically let it loose at a chink in the armor of a soldier who had gotten too close for comfort. They were still children in the eyes of anyone else, in the eyes of anyone who didn’t know what they had been through, what they were going through. But all the virtues and blessings of youth had never seemed more far away than in that moment, that very moment where phantom impressions of blood coated his hands as he watched Edward’s own delicate dance with death, each step an opportunity for a catastrophe, each spot he left vulnerable an invitation for disaster, the death of the flame that became his _raison d’être_ -

But the dance went on, refused to stop, and the scene was beautiful all the same, no matter how _wrong_ that thought seemed. Disgust at himself creeped in through the cracks of wonder. Arcs of silver-crimson-red sang through the air in a metallic instrumental, sweeping, slicing, cutting, ending, like Fate herself snapping life’s strings, each step feather-light but heavier than anything he could fathom.

Any glimpse at his face would be enough- Anything to show how _he_ felt, how he _felt_ about this field, how he felt about standing on soil soaked through with blood of friends and enemies alike, anything to show that the archer wasn’t alone in his own hesitation, his fatigue. Anything to show that this was still the same Edward who sang and laughed and danced in the marketplace without a care in the world, anything to show that this was still the same boy who almost convinced him to do the same.

Anything to see that this was the same boy he’d fallen in love with.

And _gods_ , he didn’t want the spring in his step to slide into a silent glide, didn’t want the twinkle to dim from grey eyes that lit up whenever he smiled, didn’t want his warm presence to cool down into a gloomy chill.

After all, Leonardo had always hated change.

 

* * *

 

 

But change was inevitable, really- Especially at the end of a war, when the people were forced to pick up the pieces despite the scars, when they had to live on in what may be new circumstances, when agreements had to be made to ensure peace, however temporary it may be. Change was the one thing that would remain unchanging for all eternity- Everything in the fabrics of the universe dictated it, demanded it, demanded the ever-rising entropy in the world.

It still did not mean he had to _like_ it, but here, he could say that it would be for the better. He trusted Micaiah to restore Daein, trusted Sothe as her right-hand man, trusted Pelleas slightly less but enough, nonetheless- He was earnest in his efforts to improve, and while that would never be able to cover his previous faults in Leonardo’s eyes, it would suffice- For now.

Though, his own change in station would get some getting used to- Even after all his years of living as a noble, (which weren’t enough, truth be told,) he’d never had to command a large group before, much less train them. His own inexperience frustrated him to no end, and the sheer amount of paperwork and recruits he had to take care of didn’t help the matter. But gradually, _gradually_ , he was getting used to it.

However, the announcement of Micaiah’s official coronation ceremony certainly threw him off-track. Though he wasn’t really in charge of it all, he still found himself fretting over arrangements whenever he could find the time to help, volunteering whenever he could find a moment- Call him a self-sacrificial workaholic, because that’s exactly what he was, and he genuinely wanted everything to go smoothly at the Queen’s ceremony, _especially_ at the ball to be held afterwards. It may or may not have come to the point Micaiah had to personally approach Leonardo and tell him to calm himself- She was personally overseeing the preparations parallel to her other duties, and the people in charge were all people that could be trusted, of which neither reassurance did nothing to alleviate the archer’s insistence.

He was suspended from activities not relating to his station regardless.

Not that it did anything to help- Denying him stress relief through work ultimately rendered him even more stressed, even when throwing himself into his usual work with all his heart and soul, and at some point he ended up wandering the corridors of Daein Keep to escape his now-stuffy study, all while rubbing the aching archery calluses on his hands in a feeble attempt to relax. His habit of pacing evened out into a long walk, cordially greeting familiar but strange faces as he came across them, wishing they were perhaps a tad more familiar, if only to get his worries off his chest- And perhaps plead for more of a say in the arrangements for the ball, but then again, that was just wishful thinking.

In the end, wishful thinking wasn’t the only kind of thinking he did as he walked along the halls of the keep mechanically. His mind wandered as he did, as well, drifting from one subject to another in a loathfully unfocused manner, the familiar unfounded dread settling in his gut as worries sawed away at his nerves, weaving paths and nets in various attempts to find solutions to problems that either had no clear solution or would (probably) never occur.

It was the sound of music that broke him out of his reverie- or rather; his utter lack of coherent thought- and brought him back to the present. A lone melody echoed throughout the halls, beckoning him towards the source along with rhythmic steps that could only come from a dance. Most likely someone practicing, be they a noble or another with a particular taste for the hobbies of an aristocrat- And frankly, he’d like to see how that would go. With the thought that the chances were impossibly low for the source to be dangerous reassuring him, Leonardo let himself be curious for once and poked his head through the half-open double doors to something he both expected and didn’t expect-

And well, his first thought was that Edward was significantly worse at dancing than he thought he’d be, with how readily he’d done those little jigs around the campfire and how fleet of foot he was, regardless. In hindsight, though, the fact was so _Edward_ that he couldn’t help but feel comforted by it- He’d changed, too, but not in the way he’d feared. The marksman leaned against the door with an endeared smile as the brunet was practically dragged around by the instructor, despite his stance indicating that _he_ should be the one leading, trying not to wince as the swordsman trampled on his partners foot. That was one thing he wasn’t jealous of, for once, but he supposed that’s natural- Most people would very much prefer intact toes over crushed ones, though somewhere in the back of his mind, he realized that he wouldn’t mind terribly even if Edward actually broke his foot while the two danced, if they ever did.

Or perhaps that was put a tad harshly. Could a realization like that be considered the truth? Leonardo briefly looked down at his own feet in concern as the sound of the instructors voice reprimanding a frustrated Edward faded into white noise, and looking up again, he couldn’t help but wonder if he’d do any better trying to teach the brunet on his own.

In hindsight, the thought was nonsensical. The woman Edward was currently attempting to dance with was obviously far better acquainted with the art than himself, who’d been at a military academy for most of the time in which any other young nobleman would’ve been learning more manners and court pleasantries. He could count the amount of dances he could still feasibly execute on one hand. Him, a dance teacher? Obviously a bad idea.

Still, he couldn’t help but wish to be in her place.

The music started up again, and Edward looked like he was about to bore holes in both his and the instructor’s shoes with how hard he was staring at them, trying to avoid stepping on his partner’s feet for the umpteenth time. Removing himself from the doorway, Leonardo decided he’d had enough of watching for now and had better things to do, but not really- All that waited for him were queries and paper and more paper, but now, anything to distract him from the sudden, odd twist in his gut that he refused to categorize would be sufficient.

It was ~~not~~ jealousy. He was ~~n't~~ _that_ petty.

If anything, it was perhaps a sign that his walk had been successful, because now he was motivated enough to work again.

 

( _if only to stop imagining edward’s hands on his waist, hesitant but steady, trying to lead him through a waltz and stumbling over both their feet instead_.)

 

( _and leonardo would laugh, laugh and forgive him_.)

 

* * *

 

 

The garb he’d been required to wear was nowhere near as stiff or excessively formal as he’d feared- If anything, it had more of a military flair, with several allusions to his usual marksman’s wear, but decidedly less functional. He did quite like the silver embellishments and lining, and was thankful for the fact that the decorative pauldron was light, though he did feel uneasy without the weight of his quiver.

The sheer number of belts, however. Gods, the _belts_. Leonardo had already known that he wore more than entirely necessary on a daily basis, but for this to become a gimmick to such a degree— Gods, he was going to leave some of these out lest he take hours to get out of this again, damn what the maids said.

He’s standing in front of Edward not long afterwards, helping his partner shrug into his own coat for lack of anything better to wear- The brunet had initially seemed adamant on wearing his red trueblade’s longcoat before the purchase of what he was in now, to which Leonardo couldn’t help but protest- Too many phantom splatters of blood lingered there in quiet overlays along with concerns he couldn’t voice, but Edward seemed to understand, regardless, giving in to the blond’s pleas to let him buy Edward a new coat for any future formal occasions.

After a very nostalgic, loud and clumsy shopping trip, they’d ended up with something eerily opposite but similar in form to what Leonardo had, black-brown with golden lining, red accents and an equally red scarf that draped over Edward’s shoulders as if it had belonged there all along. It cut quite the heroic figure, really, obvious even when the buttons hadn’t been completely done up yet. Edward had been ecstatic, and still was in the guest-room-turned-dressing-room as Leonardo fussed over the other.

“Hey, we really do kinda match, don’t you think?” The brunet remarked, fiddling with his binder, before moving on to roll up the sleeves of his coat, upon which Leonardo pulled them loose again with a soft huff. “Black and white and red and blue and all that. Also, how in heck am I supposed to put on this cloak?”

“One question at a time, Ed.” Leonardo replied, doing up the final button of his coat and flicking him in the forehead, before grabbing said cloak off the back of a chair. “And you chose your outfit for that purpose, don’t you remember? Noone could look at us and think we _don’t_ match.”

Edward laughed, light and easy, and the sound made Leonardo’s chest ache in a way he didn’t entirely disagree with- Such was love, he supposed, he’s acknowledged that a while ago. The archer returned the laugh with a smile, letting the clasp of the cloak click into place as he tugged at the ends for minor adjustments, smoothing out both layers of fabric that the garment consisted of, which was the primary reason for the brunet’s confusion.

There’s a light punch to Leonardo’s arm once he stepped away, before Edward moved on to pulling on the fingerless gloves thrown at his face in retaliation. “Man, you’re a serious lifesaver, y’know that, Leo? Would’ve turned up looking pretty lame if you hadn’t helped. Never thought I’d have to go to fancy balls, y’know?” Leonardo sighed.

“Maybe, but honestly, you would’ve been able to put on most of this on your own- Nothing had to be fastened from behind, and I trust that you’re fully capable of putting on a _scarf._ Now, as for the details, like the fact that the left cuff of your boot’s flipped up, or that your collar is crooked-” The blond reached out and fixed the latter, tugging on the left side to center it- “- _That’s_ something you’d need me for, unless I’m wrong.”

“Sure, _mom_.” Edward mock-groaned, clipping a belt into place and fixing his boot before hopping off of the chair and running a hand through his hair. He glanced sideways into a mirror and flashed his reflection a signature grin. “Am I good to go?”

“No.” Red fabric hit the brunet’s face with a _foomph_ , blinding him momentarily until it slid into his hands. “You forgot your scarf.”

Edward stuck out his tongue, already slinging the scarf over his shoulders, thumbing at the tassels and gold patterning at the ends. “I wasn’t _forgetting_ it. And I’m done _now_ , right?”

It was Leonardo’s turn to laugh, and he nodded, fond, exasperated and so very amused. “Of course. We’re gonna be really early, though, so don’t overdo it out there.”

Edward’s hand latched on to Leonardo’s wrist and tugged. “Hey now, who said I was going out there _alone?_ ” The archer was tugged out of the room with a yelp, barely having any time to pull the door closed as the brunet practically dragged him through the keep, fast and excited and nearly sweeping Leonardo clear off his feet.

 

( _though, he’d already let him do that a long time ago_.)

 

* * *

 

They were, in fact, early, so they helped with last-minute preparations, getting compliments from an also-present Laura in a shade of yellow that always had suited her most- They were soon separated in the flow of guests that followed, all in different degrees of finery, and while most of their group found themselves together again, Micaiah and Sothe were nowhere to be seen, Pelleas was seated among a group of people Leonardo recognized as advisors, and he personally had to sit among other squadron captains. Conversation was easy and shallow, sometimes cold reports, sometimes more familiar gossip and the rare teasing statement or joke, but he found himself missing the company of those who he’d come to regard as family regardless.

The coronation itself was grand in comparison to Pelleas’, but the mage was obviously fine with that, if the awestruck look on his face was anything to go from; all long speeches, traditions and choruses of “long live the Queen”, all of which Micaiah took in stride with determined eyes and earnest words, back straight and hands outstretched, asking for hope and acceptance, if not loyalty. No disaster occurred, no uproar that could have become something serious, there was nothing but unsubtle, disapproving, doubtful murmurs amidst the cheers, nearly indistinguishable jeers scattered throughout the grand hall that were too unimportant to count for now, and all went well, the circlet upon her head glistening in the light along with the sheen of her fabled silver hair.

Not that anything short of a sudden invasion could have happened, with both Daein soldiers and the Dawn Brigade present, with the daggers he knew were somewhere in Sothe’s sleeves as he trailed her like a shadow as she exchanged pleasantries after it was all over. The festivities were opened with more rehearsed lines and the subtle knowledge among few that this was barely affordable, but all too necessary, but the food and drink was shared generously, music filling the room as a level of steady chatter filled the room.

One by one by two by four, people broke away from the masses at the sidelines to join the one growing in the center, a mass of people spinning, dancing, conversing or holding their silence as they did so. Leonardo gave to peer pressure that had never been there, joined the group out of sheer obligation, passing easily from one woman to another at each musical cue, repeating steps he’d nearly forgotten and thanking muscle memory as he did so- Several tittered of his good looks and, on one occasion, “ _pretty golden locks_ ”, others were less forward, some were just thankful he could dance at all, but the archer was uncomfortable regardless, though he did an excellent job of disguising it. He had years of practice in that, after all.

A greater discomfort was that couldn’t find Edward anywhere, at least not from the occasional glance he threw around the room- But he assumed he would probably be wolfing down food at one of the tables, chattering excitedly with Nolan and Aran and Laura, or perhaps demonstrating whatever he’d learned of dancing out on the floor, far more boldly than someone his skill level should. Or perhaps he’d be roaming the gardens? It wasn’t unlikely. Step, step, twirl, and the noblewoman who’d been accompanying him for that dance bowed as he mirrored her, then floated over to one of his colleagues who looked less than prepared for the switch. Leonardo took that moment to duck out of the center, finding it suddenly amusing that _he_ was the one dancing so readily now as opposed to the brunet.

He kept to the sidelines a while longer, nursing a glass of wine next to an equally comfortably idle Fiona, finding himself sufficiently amused by watching the dancers in the center- Someone got slapped at one point, two half-familiar women arguing with eachother _while dancing_ , which was amusing, but also somewhat concerning, Fiona disappeared from his side eventually, and he could distinctly make out Aran and Laura dancing and stumbling without a care in the world before they were swallowed by the crowd again.

The little punch to his shoulder nearly scared him senseless, and it took all of his willpower to avoid immediately punching whoever had snuck up on him back, and significantly harder- He rounded, only to be met by a blinding, familiar grin and an outstretched hand, a faux-suave tone sounding awkward overlaid on a boyish voice.

“May I have this dance, milor- Oof!” Leonardo’s initial punch redirected itself into a soft blow at Edward’s gut, not enough to hurt, but definitely enough to cut him off.

“Hey, what the heck!” The brunet stumbled overdramatically as he put a hand to his forehead, mock-hurt painting itself onto his face, but _very_ far from convincing. “Oh, how it hurts- Brutal, brutal rejection!” he wailed. The blond punched him again, in the shoulder this time. Edward whined. “Kill a dead man, will you? I’m down, I’m down!” Leonardo couldn’t help a snicker this time, shaking his head.

“Then don’t go sneaking about like a spectre, you scared the living daylights out of me.” Leonardo replied as the brunet recovered from his fake whine-fest and slung an arm around the archer’s shoulders.

He smelled like dimmed hearthfire and floral oil. The tension in Leonardo’s shoulders eased.

“I was serious about the dance, though.” Edward quipped seconds later, beaming at him, eyebrows raised, self-assured, the casually slung arm now pulling his companion closer, blissfully oblivious to the way Leonardo’s face flushed a little bit pinker, the fact that he was nowhere near tipsy enough to blame it on the wine. “You’ll never believe how great I’ve gotten, I can lead and everything- C’mon, Leo, lemme show you!”

There was no waiting for a reply as Edward dragged Leonardo back to the center, moving so he was pulling the blond in by both hands as his best friend followed him in only half-reluctantly, because what real reason did he have to say no? The music was good, the company as well, and in a way, this was far more enjoyable than everything he’d done so far that night- Halfhearted conversation and noncommittal dances were nothing compared to how warm Edward’s hands were in his, at his wrists, at his waist, sliding down to his hips, unsure of where to exactly go. The blond’s eyes flitted around, unsure where to look yet ultimately unable to look the brunet in the eye as a hand slowly, slowly came to rest on the other’s shoulders in a way that felt more intimate than it was, the other hanging in front of him, waiting for Edward to take the cue and follow- He’d evidently forgotten that part, but he made up for it quickly, lacing blade-calloused fingers in equally rough archery-calloused ones and holding on as if for dear life.

His palms were sweaty, and it was oddly endearing.

And- Ah, damn him. His face felt like it was on fire, and it hit him that he was, indeed, incredibly in love, and that he’d been an _idiot_ to forget that when Edward had offered- Things he could easily disregard in any other situation, things he had gotten used to hiding flared back up in his gut, brought butterflies into his stomach and his heart fluttering at his throat, threatening to spill onto his sleeve- So he kept his mouth carefully shut in a nervous smile, one that Edward mirrored as he finally took the lead, then looking down at their feet in utter concentration, like he had on the day Leonardo had wandered from his duties.

**_one_ ** _two three **one** two three **one** two three-_

Edward counted under his breath as he led, surprisingly sure and without fault, and Leonardo followed his lead with equally surprising ease, counting along with the brunet for some sort of constant, as the music ebbed and flowed, swelled and faded and the two moved, if not a little stiffly, along with the familiar one-two-threes- His heartbeat slowed to something more comfortable, bearable, and the hand at his waist was no longer awkward as it went on- A song passed, the next began and passed like the one before, and the swordsman finally looked up, flushed, beaming, and just when he thought he’d have a break, the blond’s heart skipped a beat.

“See, told you I could do it!” he sang, and Leonardo stopped counting to the new song to squeeze Edward’s shoulder and reply.

“I never doubted you for a second.”

Sweep, step, step, _turn_. The hand at his waist disappeared for the duration of a comparatively daring twirl before settling there again. He tried not to look impressed. “Except there.” He added with a wry smile, a sliver of a grin shining through. “Thank you for keeping my feet intact.”

Edward whined, his foot coming slightly too close to trampling on the blond’s as if on cue, and neither of them could tell if it was on purpose. “Leooooo.” A less hazardous three-count, then another, punctuated by a declaration at the end. “You know what, wait ‘til we dance some more! I swear I’ll be the best you’ve ever danced with!”

“More?” Leonardo asked, raising an eyebrow playfully. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re hogging me.” Edward’s following bark of laughter was almost infectious and finally, finally, he stumbled, forwards, a little too close, before falling back into the rhythm.

“Who said I wasn’t?”

A pause, and this time, the archer lagged behind a little too far, far enough to be noticeable. The brunet waved it off easily- The blond had overlooked enough of his own mistakes, it was fine. Leonardo, however, looked a bit off-put, regardless. “What?” he asked, before Edward shushed him, staring back down at their feet again.

“Hold up, lemme try something.” He said, and wait, Leonardo _knew_ that tone-

 _(c’mon, leo, sing with me- ‘take flight, take flight’_ -)

And Edward pulled him closer, chest to chest, the hand on his waist relocating to the small of his back, Leonardo’s own grip on Edward’s shoulder slipping to accommodate the sudden change reflexively, and that’s the approximate moment Leonardo’s brain ceased to function as it should.

Swept off his feet, indeed.

Then the brunet tripped for real, stepping on the blond’s right boot _hard_ , then sending the both of them tumbling to the polished marble floor, only saving eachother from an unsightly heap at the last moment, supporting eachother in something that looked halfway as if they were wrestling while standing up, halfway like a hug.

A beat, a few pairs of eyes looking their way, and Edward laughed, a loud guffaw at how stupid they must’ve looked just now, and Leonardo couldn’t help but join in, his own chortles nowhere near as loud, but almost as amused, even as his ears burned red with embarrassment. The odd occasion was quickly brushed off by most of the guests once more, and after the laughter ebbed away into something more manageable, the two of them straightened back up into a standing position that looked significantly less abnormal and retreated from the center.

“ _That_ went well.” Leonardo quipped, flicking the other’s forehead again. Edward swatted his hand away. “For the record, I had the whole dance thing planned out before I screwed up.” He defended, and didn’t stop there, counting down the steps on his fingers to demonstrate as the blond crossed his arms, an eyebrow raised, though the effect was significantly killed by the fact his face was _still_ flushed.

“I was gonna pull you close like earlier, and that went super well- Don’t laugh, it did-! Then I was going to keep talking, spin you like two more times, then when the music got good, I was gonna-“

Edward trailed off. Uncharacteristic, almost distressingly so. Leonardo’s eyebrow would’ve raised higher if it could as he uncrossed his arms, and the brunet raked a hand through his hair, rendering it a mess, looking down again, expression going stubborn as thoughts Leonardo could never pin down or identify seemed to rattle through the swordsman’s head. His gaze snapped back up afterwards, and there was only one warning given.

“Don’t freak out?”

And he leaned in, slowly, grey eyes unwaveringly holding contact with blue, waiting for any sign of Leonardo pulling away, before finding none, smiling, and closing his eyes along with the rest of the gap.

The blond didn’t freeze, but met him halfway, almost involuntarily, and-

Well, it was nothing groundbreaking, nothing special- The ceiling did not cave, nor did the stars did fall from the sky, there was no lightburst of firecrackers behind his eyes, there was no rush. It was… Oddly normal, like it had been meant to happen ages ago, everything he expected yet still inexplicably _happy_ , regardless- Short, chaste, a little clumsy as their noses bumped and Edward sniggered, uncertain but certain in… Something, something that tugged at their hearts in the same joyous way.

“Was that okay?” Edward asked.

Leonardo’s eyes fluttered open- When had he closed them? –and he replied, surprisingly composed, though he feared that the redness of his face would stay like a permanent sunburn at this rate. “The kiss, or the fact that it was you?”

The brunet fidgeted, the nervous smile morphing into a nervous grin. “Uh. Both? The last one?”

A hand tapped at his chin. “The kiss was… Okay.” Edward cringed, and Leonardo smiled, a little crooked, a hand fiddling with a stray lock of blond hair. “But since it was you, I suppose we’ll…” he looked away, cleared his throat. “…have plenty of time to improve on that.”

Edward blinked once, twice. “For real?”

The blond nodded, covering the bottom half of his face with a gloved hand. “Along with your dancing- That’s going to need a _lot_ of work.”

And suddenly, Edward was taking his wrists again, pulling him in once more as he positively _glowed_ , all grins and glee and shining eyes- Those words were enough for the both of them, after all, if only for now, and the realization that his feelings were reciprocated finally hit him full force, and Leonardo took the lead, silent disbelief, awe and joy all the way back to the marble tiles and the heart of the music. Edward twirled, the ends of his scarf and coat flaring out behind him as he did so, hands beckoning as they released him like they had done ages ago, beckoning for him to join his other half in a dance, yet another, in many more to come.

“Then what better time to practice than now?”

Leonardo took his hands, joining him for once, for twice, for as many times it would take to catch up on missed time and make time anew, because this, this was a welcome change. They were no longer the children who lost more than they should, no longer the children who ran after eachother through the marketplace, no longer the seemingly irreparable children misplaced but most at home on a battlefield- Same, somehow, but different, no longer phantom images of the past. They'd have to work through some things, because some problems, some changes don't have obvious solutions, but that was okay.

Things changed for the better, too, after all.

“What are we waiting for?”

“ _Let’s dance_.”

**Author's Note:**

> edward: kills a man  
> leonardo, sweating: shit thats kinda hot
> 
> bad jokes aside and as always, thank you for reading! feedback in any form is greatly, greatly appreciated!


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